A lady forces herself again to go outside & write seriously!
I have been waiting patiently for the weather to show some grace. She is not ready to do so, and I am no God to force mother nature to change moods. I must let her run her course while I continue hiding in cool rooms, resting under blossoming trees and stone ramadas when called to go outside. Fall is amongst us, and I am happy knowing that my seasonal summer dread is fading away. No more being envious of those precious ducks and geese swimming in ponds while I walk beside them with sweat trickling down my nutmeg skin while cursing myself for being crazy enough to leave my home in the first place.
This past weekend I was out in the sun again because summer is almost over and I must be a big girl and finish the season outside strong like my inner child wants me to. So, I ended up at one of my favorite places in Phoenix – Manistee Ranch. A place where I can walk around and be surrounded by beauty and nature’s repose. It is nice to take a walk on the grounds, lay on the grass, or sit at a bench in the shade and think clearly – meditate. I love a place where I feel safe and have a sense of belonging. Having such places to go to is good for the soul.
Manistee Ranch, Sep 2025
Afterward, my husband and I love to go to libraries in the area and get down on resources they have to offer. Utilize your local library. After all, a library is a cultural community center that yearns for those to seek its knowledge housed within its walls. Some goods we happened to leave with were different types of flower and herb seeds for fall gardening (all free) and we also purchased a few used books for .50 cents each. The book I found myself purchasing is named Hao by Ye Chun. It is a book of short stories about Chinese women handling migration and motherhood. So far, the book is beautifully written with resilient women going through troubling life situations. My kind of book through and through. These are the types of books I love to read. These are the kinds of stories I aspire to write.
Now I come back home where I feel my best. I have scrapbooked my monthly goals in my planner. Books I plan to read, stories I want to write, places I want to visit while praying for creativity and consistency to keep me honest. One of my newest goals for myself and my brand – becoming an online diarist. I have always kept journals since I was a child – scribbling thoughts down and writing silly anecdotes about my day to day. But it is time to attempt serious writing, again while remaining true to my being this time around. No performances, no trying to strive for perfection, no being distracted by people’s perceptions of me. I am blocking out the noise and honing my craft. This is my journey of refinement in all facets. This is my 2nd beginning.
-S.B. Garner
Garden of Shannon 